The Halloween Kids (TV series)
The Halloween Kids is a Canadian-American TV series that aired from 2000-2002 in Canada on Teletoon. It was created by and based on the books by Elliot Strange. It was produced by Gecko Studios and Artemis Entertainment, in association with Adelaide Productions. In spite of being co-produced in the US, the show never aired on any network there. Due to its content, it was aired close to Teletoon's late-night programs and has turned up in reruns on Trouble in the United Kingdom, Locomotion in Latin America and 2x2 in Russia (networks dedicated to programs geared toward older audiences.) Production The series started in late 2000, with a pilot telefilm and a sneak preview episode coming out less than a month after. The first season lasted throughout 2001 and the second season began in 2002, ending late in that year. Rather than utilizing a single roster of actors from a single talent union, the show utilized a large roster of voice actors that spanned not only talent unions throughout Vancouver and Ontario, but has also used American actors and Canadian actors with no affiliation to notable Canadian talent unions. The actors were selected by Strange. The show never aired outside of Canada. While the show was in production, Strange wanted to go with UPN, having produced a series for them in the past, and have it on their children's block. However, due to production issues, the pilot was held back by a year and the block was discontinued by then. Strange then went with BKN after Sony offered to help on production, but that block went under as well. To cut down on costs, Strange agreed to have the show aired in Canada after receiving a generous offer from Teletoon. Plot In general, the series focuses on The Halloween Kids, a group of children who live in Belbury and investigate supernatural occurrences, experimentations and myths, intervening when necessary. They are unknowingly spied upon by the Elites, an illuminati-esque group proceeded over by the most influential students at Belbury Middle School. The school itself is home to a wide array of bizarre children, allowing the Halloween Kids leverage in carrying out their plan of the day. As the series went on, focus strayed from the Halloween Kids, with equal focus being put on other prominent characters. Structure Episodes typically begin with a cold open. The openings tend to have nothing to do with the plot (save for certain instances where they establish certain characters or give an implication for what's to come. Episodes feature a mix of horror elements and tongue-in-cheek humor, something attributed to the resume of the head writers on the show. There's a mild sense of continuity between the episodes, namely applying toward the characters where they either become friends with anyone in the main gang or go through development that sticks throughout the remainder of the series. Setting The series is set in the fictional unincorporated community of Belbury. In the books, it's made clear that Belbury is located in southern Wisconsin, likely in Washington County. In the show, the exact area the town's located in is left ambiguous due to the Canadian government providing most of the show's funding; they feel a show based in America wouldn't fare well for Canadian viewers. Characters The Halloween Kids The Halloween Kids are a gang of children encompassing multiple personalities and means of handling situations. When conceiving the characters, Strange claimed that the usage of a large main cast was done to focus on a family dynamic, where all development effects the group who put aside their hierarchal differences for the good of their home town. Their biggest connection is that fact that all were born in October, and are descendants of supernatural beings that laid the groundwork for New England's foundation. While they had no recollection of their original upbringing, they felt the need to remain together and solve all supernatural issues in their town. They were virtually unchanged from their book counterparts. *'Alison Meeks (Mae Whitman season 1, Vanessa Morley season 2):' The leader of the Halloween Kids. Alison is a spunky talkative girl and the leader of the Halloween Kids. She is knowledgeable on everything obscure or irrelevant to what's currently happening, with a varying payoff. Since she was the first to discover the club's first monster, she had leeway in becoming their leader. While generally optimistic, Alison also tends to be somewhat moody and short-tempered. She also tends to be somewhat selfish whenever an opportunity comes for her to gain power, leading to people turning against her, even Colleen. She wears shades frequently, done to cover her disfigured set of eyes which she believed was caused by a rare eye disorder, but it was caused by a pact her family made with the Headless Inspectre to preserve their lives, leading to disfigurement on their next born child as a permanent reminder to never invoke his wrath. Alison was born in Dover-Foxcroft, Maine. *'Colleen Dixon (Melissa Fahn season 1, Tabitha St. Germain season 2):' Colleen is Alison's best friend. Colleen is a somewhat shy girl who takes on a deadpan persona when she's forced to interact with others. Colleen stuck with Alison because the latter understood her better and is helping build her self-esteem. She wants to become a stronger individual and learn to fight her own battles in order to be like her parents. Colleen is typically the voice of reason or one who'd rather gawk at certain things, but she tends to be just as bad, often worse than Alison when she loses control. Colleen's from Denver, Colorado. *'Jupiter Slaatsky (Andrea Libman):' The youngest in the Slaatsky family, later a main protagonist in the series. Jupiter is a bubbly naive girl who gives insight whether the people around her want to hear it or not. In spite of her demeanor clashing heavily with her circle of friends, she is still treated as an equal, with her friends viewing her constant optimism as a way to maintain emotional balance. In the second season she becomes a member of the Halloween Kids after discovering her strong endurance to pain (shown through a fight she has with Suzy). Jupiter was the main protagonist of the books, namely as a hopeful applicant who was always held back by her father. Focus was put on her to help circumvent this. *'Sam Proctor (Julie Lemieux):' A girl who's into magic and planting and is also a bookworm. It's revealed that she's a witch, but she keeps it under wraps so she could make friends easier and maintain a normal life. Sam is very cynical, and tends to be the first to criticize potentially bad ideas, and she also has low patience. She is also very calm, but is easily provoked and merciless. *'Julie Dallow (Bryn McAuley):' A punk girl who often takes the role of a contrarian. She used to be a prominent street rat until she got the chance to turn her life around. Julie holds a strong moral compass and sticks up for much weaker individuals, though she tends to be very sarcastic to most people. Her exterior hides the fact that she was once a weak girl who felt as though she had little to contribute to the world. A girl of simple pleasures, Julie's into alternative music and considers a fun afternoon visiting a comic book shop and getting a cheeseburger and a chocolate shake. Julie was reportedly the most popular character in the series. *'Jerry Sandoval (Ian James Corlett):' A somewhat cowardly boy. Next to the Dobsons, he's one of the only boys in the Halloween Kids, something he forgives since he's weak by nature. In spite of his cowardice, he has a strong love of extra terrestrials, carried down from his father. When he met Jenny, he was grateful when she became his friend and offered to protect her to build his confidence. While he is a caring boy, he only applies it to people he feels matter more than him, which are very few. *'Jenny Sandoval (Carrie Finlay):' An alien girl who was sent to Earth by her family due to miscommunication between them and their overlord. She landed in Belbury and befriended Jerry, who was the only human who wasn't afraid of her. She is taken in by Ned and treated as if he was her own. Because of her lack of experience on Earth, Jenny comes off as somewhat naive and may engage in acts normal to her, but too bizarre for everyone else. *'Becky Slaatsky (Lisa Ng):' A girl who has the ability to turn into a werewolf. Having had virtually no experience outside of her farmhouse, Becky tends to be naive to higher social culture, but she gets by through limited interactions. Becky is typically calm and quiet, only opening up to those she's close to, but is also easily angered. Becky ran away from home a few months prior to the start of the series and had a run-in with Victoria who turned her into a werewolf. Becky was later found and tamed by Randall and she develops a crush on him, also joining the Halloween Kids for some personal redemption. Becky's werewolf form is barely different from her human form, but it was a limited use of her true power; when angered, she becomes a more grizzly version of herself. *'Emily Blythe (Britt Irvin):' A nerdy girl who often serves as the brains of the group. While generally reserved, she is boy-crazed and tends to hold an obsessive interest in science. She was infamous for throwing her former friends under the bus to avoid scrutiny. She made her first major appearance in Evilution, where she and Julie get exposed to mutagens. On Emily's part, she transformed into a hulking lizard monster, fueled by the anger she has toward her oppressors. After a weakened Julie confronts her, Emily realizes what led to her alienation and vowed to change her ways. With her mutant form and intelligence at her disposal, she was made a member of the Halloween Kids. The Perrino Elites The Perrino Elites are a secret society, one of the most feared in Alison's school. They exist to provide a protection racket for the more dominant social groups, namely bullies (preferably bullies with higher intelligence than others), divas, jocks and those with professional connections. They would seek anyone who annoys them and punish them based on the extent of their misdeed. In the books, they were an illuminati-esque group who closely monitored the activities of the Halloween Kids, believing that they will carry on the sinister legacy of their ancestors. Alison and the leader, Francis, became friends near the end of the first season, but Francis used this to closely monitor her and her group. * Francis Perrino (Antoinette Spolar): The leader of the Elites, as well as class president, best identified by her large head sporting a bulging vein. Francis is a well-rounded yet strict leader who at first despised the Halloween Kids, unbeknownst to them, but later changed her mind after seeing they weren’t a threat to school safety and especially since Alison saved her, as well as indirectly allowing Francis to maintain her position as class president.. She would often aid the Halloween Kids, provided she shares their desire to go through with whatever’s proposed. Francis is an aspiring director and is loosely based on Louis Peraino. She's from Montgomery, Alabama. * Ashley Yorke (Amber Hood): Grew up in Lexington, Kentucky, but later moved to Connecticut due to her parents believing that the former wasn't worth living in. She tends to be cocky, especially when it comes to competitive events and is also a very hard player, but she lacks humility, especially when she's on the losing end. Ashley used to be Alison's best friend but both grew apart over the years, not helped by Ashley's competitive nature, but eventually became friends with Fiona. She suffers from arachnophobia. * Fiona Kennedy (Sandy Fox): Francis' other friend. Fiona seems to lack mental stability, showing no reluctance to bring about cruel and unusual punishments to anyone who crosses Francis or any of the other elites. Also tends to act like a dog, something she does to get attention. She is revealed to be poor and lives in a trailer park. Fiona is part-Polish and originally came from Bristol, Tennessee. She is much closer to Ashley, and tends to spend more time with her on and off the clock. * Ruth Dinsdale (Tabitha St. Germain): She has an affinity for producing artwork and is often tasked with drawing mugshots or making a visual reference for whomever tasks her. Ruth has a disturbing habit of rolling her eyes into the back of her head and manically cackling while drawing, something she claims cuts down on distractions. Ruth was born in Laurel, Mississippi, but was soon abandoned by her parents in a swamp and raised by alligators, giving her bizarre facial features. Ruth is very close to Francis, their friendship being the equivalent to Alison and Colleen's. *'Angela Asbrew (Vanessa Morley):' A bully and female foil to Dante, as well as Kerry’s niece. Angela is a bit of a loner and generally anti-social. This was brought on by a troubled home life. She left her parents after they showed indifference to when she got separated from them and was sent to live with Kerry via a court order. Kerry was worse at raising her, since he failed to teach her properly and more or less used her as a pawn to teach Pamela lessons through grim morality tales. Angela is afraid of sticking with what she says to her elders because she believes it led to her string of poor luck finding better parents, and she has been shown to have a lack of mental stability, brought on by low self-esteem. At the end of the series, Kerry loses custody of her and Pamela and she is sent to live with Hanneke. Among her interests, she enjoys playing the piano. *'Dante Ahrens (Tony Sampson):' A bully of a mild nature. Dante doesn't seek to harm anyone unless they provoke him, or if someone hires him to. Over the course of the series, Dante attempts to better himself after feeling out of sync with his social status. He develops a crush on Julie and the two get together in the second season. Dante's appearance is based after Chevelle vocalist Pete Loeffler. *'Georgina Sutcliffe (Tabitha St. Germain):' The school diva. Georgina originally hailed from Yorkshire and was a sheltered, boarding school attendee from a well-off family until they lost ownership of the school. They moved to New Brunswick to start a new life and their daughter would be forced to attend public school. Georgina is a girly-girl, slightly naive due to her still-developing grip on the middle-class town and was nasty for a while, but slowly changed throughout the series. Georgina is a curious girl who isn't afraid to get dirty every now and again, and has a bizarre fondness for gross things. This helped her become friends with Jenny, who considers most gross things on Earth a delicacy, as well as Sam who's work revolves around gross things. A running gag throughout the series is that Georgina always gets hit in the head by a ball. *'Phoebe Corkery (Erin Fitzgerald):' Georgina's best friend. Her appearance and social skills conflict with Georgina's standards, but she makes up for it in being much crueler. Phoebe is a misanthropic, manipulative and sociopathic girl who has managed to get her way by any means possible, particularly to get out of whatever trouble she's in. Her disgust for the world stems from the death of one of her closest friends, one she felt she could've prevented. Beyond that, she doesn't hold contempt toward the Elites or the Halloween Kids. *'Elizabeth Yuzna (Chantal Strand):' A film and book enthusiast who's within Georgina's circle of friends. Elizabeth's obsession with film puts her at odds with other people, given that she is often vehemently critical of well-regarded films or shows, preferring more obscure, less warmly received fare. When she is independent of Georgina, she seems to be the leader of the trio and often coordinates whatever happens for the day. It's revealed that Elizabeth rarely ever bathes. Elizabeth's last name is sourced from Brian Yuzna, the directer of Silent Night, Deadly Night 4. This represents Elizabeth going against the norm, like in Brian's case, making a film in a series that conflicts with the theme of the rest of the series. *'Dolly Kitrosser (Ashley Taylor):' A bubbly girl. Dolly frequently adds "totally" to every sentence she says, to the annoyance of most, though people generally tolerate it. Dolly seems to be none too bright, though most episodes show that she's smarter than she seems. Dolly was abandoned as a child and was taken in by her future father Luther per a revelation on his part. She encouraged him (and later Laney) to clean up their lives and they received a hefty fortune from the Perrinos, making them cash rich. Dolly's last name comes from Martin Kitrosser, director of Silent Night, Deadly Night 5. This represents an attempt at staying with the source material, but still coming off as different. Dolly tries to be like everyone else but falls short most of the time. *'Randall Bench (Scott McCord):' A smooth-talking boy who's obsessed with money. Randall is a perfectionist who intends to earn everything through hard work and honesty, but there're times he abandons those principals for a stronger payout. He does work for hire, but has a steady job as a sweeper and a delivery boy. He also has a love interest in Becky, whom he indirectly helped redeem herself. Randall was born in Staten Island, New York. It's said that Randall's characterization is an amalgamation of Billy Joel and Frank Sinatra, especially the former. *'Tiberius Kurt (Daniel DeSanto):' A jock who's part of the school's football team. He is a strategic thinker and serves as a bodyguard alongside Dante and Damien. He's a stickler for fair play and victory, but he doesn't possess the same mentality as other jocks, preferring to keep to himself and improvise when it comes to on-field procedures. *'Marie Kadic (Sarah Gadon):' Cosmo's daughter who has the ability to advance her strength following an unwitting banishment to the Pixel Dimension (actually a furthering of a birth drug she was given before her birth, along with Tommy). She served as the antagonist in the first episode, but after getting freed and regaining control of her old emotions, she redeemed herself and saved the Halloween Kids from the Werewolf Cult in the second episode. She goes on to join the Perrino Elites and helps maintain that the Halloween Kids aren't a threat. Marie is a pseudo-gothic tomboy who loves video games and baseball and tends to speak in slang. The Raven Stakes A now retired supernatural investigation team. They grew apart following a devastating attack on what turned out to be innocent spirits who wanted to aid the Stakes. Kerry, their succeeding leader, denied everything that happened that day, to the disgust of his former allies who deserted him soon after. One of the members were sent to the Detendimension as a last-ditch effort to seal away the spirits of G.R.A.Z.. Following the destruction of their homes in Later Half, Here I Come, they take residence in Cosmo's house. * Kerry Hubbard (Jonathan Potts): The uncle/father of Angela and Pamela respectively. Kerry seems to lack mental stability, often quick to go into extremes if no one's around to keep him in line. His obsession with morality puts him at odds with Angela, thanks to her more rebellious nature. Kerry was once married to Hope Chapley, through a shotgun marriage, but he broke up with her due to her being more unhinged than him. The root of Kerry's mental problems has never been identified, though it's believed he suffers from Bipolar Disorder. In Die-Section, it's revealed that Kerry's Jewish. Kerry was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan. * Cosmo Kadic (Roger Dunn): He's the principal at the kids' school and is the father of Marie. Cosmo is the self-appointed head of the neighborhood committee and is quick to assess any situation. In the past, Cosmo possessed sociopathic tendencies, putting them to use in college where he broke the mind of an entire fraternity and a professor, something he takes pride in. Cosmo seemingly grew out of it and is among the more reasonable of his friends, though he still gives into temptation if he has the approval of the others. In spite of his attitude, Cosmo is shown to be a genuinely caring father to Marie and genuinely missed his wife after she got abducted by the Headless Inspectre, plus he gets along well with his friends and the kids. Cosmo was born in West Bend, Wisconsin. * Lars Perrino (Tony Rosato): Francis' father and the current successor to the Perrino estate. He got convicted following the disbandment of the Stakes due to mounting charges from his mafia days, but got out after agreeing to a plea bargain where he would reveal the locations of still-active members of his crime family. He served his family and the Stakes and is very similar to his daughter in terms of interests and means of operating. Over the years he has become a lot more honorable and committed to being a respected part of the neighborhood. It's implied heavily that Lars is gay and has developed a fixation on Cosmo for whatever reason. * Ned Sandoval (Hiro Kanagawa): The brains of the team and Jerry and Jenny's father. Ned has had two jobs between the show's two seasons, the first was an electrician, the second was a science teacher at a prestigious school outside of Belbury. Ned is best identified by his large head and small eyes, something he attributes to a rare form of lionitis. He is a taxidermist who has a strong obsession with aliens (which was enough to allow him to take Jenny in and raise as one of his own.) and this often prevents him from taking part in the adults' adventures. Ned is from Lima, Ohio. * Bob Dixon (Howard Jerome): The team's brawn, and Colleen's father. For a time, he was the strongest man in Belbury, best known for his dexterity and better resistance to pain. This was compromised when he was involved in a car accident a year after the Stakes disbanded, breaking his back and both of his ankles in the process. Years of recovery rendered him out of shape and he walks with the aid of a cane. Bob seems to have no issue with Cosmo, and vice versa. Bob is somewhat depressed, thanks to his injury and is embittered over his past, also blaming Kerry for everything that happened (which enabled him to keep his friendship with Cosmo.) Bob's interests include fishing, checkers and poker. He came from Anderson, Missouri. G.R.A.Z. Ghostly Revenge Alliance... Zoinks!. The main antagonists of the series. * Headless Inspectre (Eugene Levy): The Headless Inspectre is the ghost of Blaine Matson, a renowned health inspector from the 1950s. He was killed in 1971 by a vengeful butcher after Blaine gave him a poor review. Prior to this, he practiced heavily in black magic to ensure that he would maintain power and return to humanity in some form were anything to happen to him. Because of this, his severed head became cursed and his spirit roamed free until the Raven Stakes imprisoned it in a book, which Suzy freed him from. Blaine's head was buried beneath an oak tree set on the highest point in Belbury. To whomever reunites his head with his body, he will become their servant, only for the reverse to happen. * Sorrow (Harvey Atkin): Ghost of Richard Darsey, the leader of the Raven Stakes and Alison's biological father. He was the son of the butcher that killed Blaine Matson. Following his father's conviction, Richard walked the line between sanity and insanity, gradually going towards the latter after the Headless Inspectre was discovered. During the battle with the ethereal Halloween Kids, Richard saw the Headless Inspectre as the reason for his decaying sanity and persevered in attacking the kids, believing them to be active pawns. Wracked with guilt after learning that the assault was in vein, he succumbs to the influence of the Headless Inspectre and becomes Sorrow, with his guilt manifesting into his form. Richard was put into a coma and his body acted as a tether. Had the Headless Inspectre not been imprisoned, Richard would've served as a double agent. After the Headless Inspectre finds peace, Richard is promptly revived. * Boris Slaatsky (Long John Baldry): A recurring (later main for the second season) antagonist, Hanneke's husband and the father of Selma, Anita, Britney, Ezra, Mercury and Jupiter. Boris is a Russian immigrant who met Hanneke while traveling to South Dakota to evade an assault trial, and Hanneke wound up marrying him to get out of a group home she lived in at the time. Boris is a boorish, loutish, often abusive individual who uses his brutish nature to work his way into his friends' circle. Boris supposedly bullied Kerry and Cosmo in college and got expelled over manslaughter charges. During his tenure in the Raven Stakes, he led a coup that led to the slaughter of innocent spirits who wanted to aid them to be free of the Headless Inspectre's clutches. This was a key factor leading to everyone hating him afterwards, and until the finale he maintained he did no wrong. His home life is no better, as he's quick to criticize his family over everything, making it hard for conversations to remain clean. After earning a proper custody agreement, Hanneke leaves Boris, though she and them don't move until the finale. Boris dies in an explosion in Juggerhead and becomes a member of G.R.A.Z., later being forced to take up remedial work for his former neighbors after their collapse. * Suzy Hellman (Catherine Disher): The prime antagonist of the first season. She's a cousin to the Slaatskies, a fact she kept under wraps to preserve her social image. Suzy seems to hate anyone that she deems weird or are a blight on her visions for wealth and power, prompting her to claim no association to people of smaller social standings and even openly attacking her former friends Elizabeth and Dolly. She is in constant denial over her place in the school's social hierarchy, believing herself to be above everyone when she is actually one of the most hated in her school, generally being deemed well out of sync with the rest of her peers. She blew off Elizabeth and Dolly the exact moment she found a better crew to run with and nearly killed Jupiter in a fight because she revealed Suzy's connection to the Slaatskies. She later unleashes the Headless Inspectre in an attempt to destroy Belbury and restart it in her own image, unaware of the curse where he would claim her soul soon after. She finds a way out of this however, and takes control of the Spectre's domain, only to get imprisoned in his tome and burned out of existence. The Moms of Belbury As the title says, this is a social group consisting of mothers who live in Belbury. * Victoria Meeks (Catherine O'Hara): Alison's mother, and the creator of the werewolf cult of Chester. Victoria is a shy woman who prefers to keep to herself, though it doesn't inhibit her from being involved with her circle of friends. She also has somewhat of a bizarre sense of humor and tends to laugh at her own jokes. Victoria retreated to Chester following the breakdown of her husband (who would later become Sorrow and a pawn to the Headless Inspectre), and worked to save the community after Kerry cut all support to farming communities throughout New England. As shown in New Meat, it culminated in an experimental procedure where she would enhance the more primal traits of the Chester residents, but it turned her into a werewolf due to chemical instability. Following the events of New Meat, she retreats into the woods, where Becky discovers her and the two work together to save the former's friends. After learning that her daughter was alive and misses her, Victoria gets the initiative to return to normal and remain so. * Amber Meeks (Patricia Drake): Alison's aunt and current guardian, Yorba and Nixon's mother and Victoria's sister. She's a divorcee (to Edgar), and since he left her, Amber's more bitter over the breakup. Amber is generally high-strung and cynical, quick to criticize anything she doesn't like. This has inhibited her from finding a job she enjoys, since she loses it over having to do overtime and works poorly with others. Her demeanor also causes tension between her and Alison, leading to the latter picking up Amber's traits. Amber has a habit of repeating certain statements twice in one sentence. She worked at a movie studio-themed family restaurant until it was shut down by the board of health. In Everything's Better than Ezra, she became the principal at Yorba and Nixon's high school. In spite of her attitude, she does care for her friends and tries to be flexible with Alison, and has slowly welcomed Edgar back into her life. Amber, like Delta and by extension the rest of her family from that generation on, hailed from Dover-Foxcroft, Maine, though Amber moved to Eastport before going to Minnesota. Amber seems to have an odd fixation with female musicians in the vein of Heart, Melissa Etheridge and 4 Non Blondes, though she claims its because they push boundaries more than other female musicians. * Enid Dixon (Linda Kash): Colleen's mother. She is a stern mother figure, but only to what she deems to be the proper extent. She saw Colleen as a disappointment, but only to get her motivated to be a better person, but she later changes her tune and encourages Colleen to be proud of who she is. Enid was bulled throughout her youth, thanks to her height and awkwardness, which prompted her to lift weights to up her self-esteem, leading to her becoming a bodybuilder. She and Bob were childhood friends and dated for a while, but broke it off when Bob became part of the Raven Stakes, a group she wound up becoming the biggest critic for. After reencountering Bob, who had his back damaged, the two reconciled and moved to Denver, only to move back to Minnesota. One aspect of her character from the books that's only fleetingly referenced throughout the series is her obsession with musicians affiliated with Portrait Records. Enid is from Lowell, Arkansas. * Levi Sandoval (Nicole Oliver): Ned's wife. She is a fashion-obsessed vain individual, but she has an equally big fixation on science fiction, which allowed her to form a relationship with Ned. Levi's more private than the rest of her neighbors, though she does turn up for group junctions. * Delta Meeks (Ellen Ray Hennessy): Victoria and Amber's mother, and Alison, Yorba and Nixon's grandmother. A writer and business woman who's the oldest amongst Enid's circle of friends. Delta was Enid's former English teacher who supposedly helped Enid when she was bullied as a kid, allowing their friendship to blossom. She's a rival to Ms. Chapley, but the former seems to be well above her. * Hanneke Slaatsky (nee Demke) (Terri Hawkes): Boris' wife. She is a kind woman, but she tends to be firm depending on the circumstances. Compared to her husband, Hanneke is more favored than him, and she is unafraid to confront Boris whenever he goes too far. Her line of work is unknown, but it's heavily implied she does some kind of work for her local news station. * Dakota Dallow (Julie Lemieux): Delta's daughter and Artemis and Julie's mother. Dakota is a pro-wrestler who seems to be more obsessed with her body image than Enid, with the two serving as friendly rivals. Dakota tends to be rough and is prone to angry outbursts, and due to her line of work she is unable to always be there for her family, but whenever a crisis occurs, she's willing to drop everything to help. * Dana L. Selena "Dallas" Hellman (Linda Ballentyne): Hanneke's sister and Suzy's mother. Dallas is a vain individual, but has a good heart and knows not to overstep personal boundaries. She lost contact with Hanneke and the two gradually grew apart until Suzy's betrayal helped them to reconcile. Dallas becomes Ned's girlfriend after her first appearance. The Rogues A collection of teens who're rejected by more mainstream-thinking teenagers. They are generally neutral, though they have alligned with the Halloween Kids the few times both crossed paths. With the exception of the guys, the Rogues are affiliated with Julie and her friends. * Britney Slaatsky (Rachel Wilson): Into video games and claims to be the only girl to maintain record scores on arcade games. Britney is lazy and is more content with playing video games, something that gets on the nerves of her family and friends. She seems to always hold a dementedly calm demeanor no matter how bad something is, which she claims helps her think clearly in a dire situation. She's the middle child in the Slaatskies. * Mercury Slaatsky (Jenn Forgie): The eldest daughter in the Slaatsky family. She possesses a thick Russian accent, putting her in the same vein as her father. Mercury is vanity-laden, and tends to enforce her beliefs, resorting to violent yet comical deeds whenever she's challenged. She also seems to possess incredible strength, something she uses to throw otherwise heavy objects at Boris during more heated arguments. In spite of her attitude, she opposes popularity and maintains a close relationship with her siblings. Janyse Jaud was originally cast as her, but Strange was unsatisfied with Jaud's attempt at a Russian accent. * Yorba and Nixon Frost (Alyson Court and Michael Eklund respectively): Twin siblings who’re Alison's cousins and Amber’s children. Both have interests that span different genres, Yorba is a science fiction enthusiast and has flipped flopped between being goth and overly geeky, but she has since found a middle ground between both personalities. Nixon is more reserved and cynical and enjoys horror. Both feuded in Da Blob, but have reconciled. * Artemis Dallow (Megan Fahlenbock): Julie's older sister. A responsible girl who futilely serves as a voice of reason for her otherwise uncooperative friends. In spite of this, Artemis frequency has bouts of anger, usually inflicted whenever she realizes someone's being dishonest (especially when it comes to people covering their tracks in terms of questionable relationships.) Artemis' sexuality has been questioned several times throughout the series, and it's possible her anger comes from her being unable to come to grips with her own sexual preferences. * Denise Dixon (Stephanie Morgenstern): Colleen's cousin. She has mostly appeared as a background character in the first season and it wasn't made clear that she had any relation to Colleen until Suziopath where she was present with the Dixons. Denise is a shy quiet girl, but thanks to those factors she is also somewhat intelligent. People go to her for advice, which annoys her because she's reluctant to talk to people. It's possible she's in a relationship with Artemis, done through subtle hints given throughout the series, though it's equally possible that it's entirely one-sided. * Anita Slaatsky (Carly McKillip): The happier of the teens. She is a animal lover and a child at heart,and is somewhat naive as well. She is defiant toward the teens whenever they try to get rid of her (which is common since they view her bubbly demeanor as a blight on their more grim perspective on life). However, she isn’t hated by them and they don’t make any effort to keep her out of their circle. When provoked however, she tends to be very violent and it’s difficult for any of her victims to subdue her. She's the second oldest daughter in the Slaatskies. * Ezra Slaatsky (Kirby Morrow): The eldest child in the Slaatsky family as well as the only son. Ezra is an introvert who enjoys partying, science fiction and fantasy, though the latter three is ususally lost on those around him because of his attitude. He was close to Mercury, but the two faced friction due to the latter revealing a secret of his, but the two reconcile for the sake of putting up with Boris. Ezra works well with Mercury and both tend to be together in group operations. * Adelaide Dallow (Stacey DePass): The eldest daughter. Adelaide possesses psychic powers (whenever she has them it looks as if she's having a seizure). Few people take her seriously until it's too late, which includes most of the Rogues. They took her in out of pity and at Artemis' request. After the events of Suziopath, people begin taking her more seriously and she plays a role in helping everyone travel to the Detendimension. Beyond that, Adelaide tends to be bossy and lacking in common sense, often at the expense of her family, but she does genuinely care about them. * Carli Sandoval (Erin Fitzgerald): Ned's daughter. Carli is a free-spirited and social girl, though she tends to be plagued with awkwardness if flustered or caught off guard. Due to her intended social lifestyle, she does herself leaving the Sandoval household to pursue an education at an arts academy, though she is been able to visit her family on special occasions, even returning permanently in the second season, albeit under unknown circumstances. Carli's interests include horseback riding and sailing. She suffers from Hetrochromia. * Melissa Hubbard (Kelly Sheridan): Kerry's niece. Melissa is a feministic girl who tends to lean closer to the views of peers her own gender, which have varying payoffs. She didn't make an appearance until Suziopath, and it's revealed that Kerry sent her to boarding school as a punishment for missing curfew. Julie's Gang Predates the Halloween Kids by a few months. All of the members met whilst in detention and bonded over their dislike for Ms. Chapley. The group features two members from both the Halloween Kids and the Elites, Julie and Jupiter and Ashley and Fiona respectively. While the Halloween Kids and Elites folded at the end of the series, Julie's gang remained intact and members from both teams joined her full time. Since season two, more episodes became focused on them, namely as an attempt by Strange to explore a spin-off possibility. * Victor Fulton (Peter Oldring): A toady boy with a unibrow and buck teeth. He's a dealer and a prankster who only acts when he knows he could ge away with it. He's within Julie's circle of friends, alongside Emily, Ashley, Fiona, Corky, Jupiter and Bernadette. He often goes into things without thinking and tends to throw his friends into danger to save himself from any trouble. * Thaddeus "Corky" Winthrop (Noel Callahan): '''A timid, often mute boy who is best identified by the fact that he wears a bicycle helmet almost all of the time. It's believed that his weirdest aspect is beneath his helmet, though it's also theorized that his head is soft and it's used for protection. Whenever he speaks, it's usually to sum up whatever happens to his friends or to offer a solution. * '''Bernadette Shunt (Tracey Moore): A girl who always possesses a smug look on her face. She is snarky and sarcastic, particularly to people within her circle, but is mostly quiet everywhere else. She seems to be one of the oldest friends within her circle, having known Victor for years. She doesn't wear socks or shoes. * Monique Broderick (Stacey DePass): A shy girl who rarely ever speaks. She seems to live a clockwork life which involves going to school, getting juice at the end of the day, listening to music and going to sleep, done due to her desire to avoid the more insane aspects of her home village. Her introverted nature is mocked constantly by more social students and Ms. Chapley, which gave her leeway into rolling with Julie. * Morgan Chavarri (Erin Fitzgerald): A tomboyish girl who turns up less frequently than the others, unless they're the main focus of the episode. Morgan enjoys working on cars and idolizes truckers, something she never keeps quiet about. Morgan seems to be closer to Julie than the others and tends to serve as her second in command. * Mack MacPheran (Chiara Zanni): A girl who's best identified by her giant hairdo. She's seemingly on the borderline between being tomboyish and being nerdy, something she uses to her advantage to deal with the other members of Julie's gang. She is brought in to the group after the events of It's Always the Dance when Julie and co vow to take a bigger stance against bullying. Other Prominent Charaters * Selma Slaatsky (Janyse Jaud): The youngest in the Slaatsky clan. Selma takes after her father, and tends to be abrasive and crude, inhibiting her from making friends. She is mostly seen helping her father at home and most prevalently at school, where she is somewhat of a bully. Selma is into sports that mainly involve the use of rackets, specifically tennis, badminton and lacrosse, plus she has a hefty appetite. She becomes part of Julie's circle in I'm Your Best Friend. * Jerv and Preston Binder (Richard Newman and Len Carlson respectively): A pair who seems to be affiliated with the Perrinos. They often do work for hire, namely through Cosmo, but they also enjoy a casual relationship with the men. Jerv is the more reserved of the two (and seemingly the eldest), while Preston's more excitable and has an addiction to caffeine. Their relationship is ambiguous, they're seemingly brothers but it's possible that they're a couple. * Pamela Hubbard (Tracey Moore): Angela's cousin. Pamela is an optimistic and blissfully ignorant girl who goes through verbal abuse from Angela on a daily basis, though it never really affects her. Pamela is shown to be very bright and resourceful when she needs to be, as well as generally aloof to whatever abuse may befall her. It's possible that Pamela is an illegitimate daughter from an affair Ms. Chapley had with Cosmo, and that Kerry knows it but doesn't call Cosmo out on due to a lack of evidence. * Courtney Dallow (Brittney Wilson): The youngest daughter in the Dallow clan. Seems to only exist to provide some occasional comedic effect. She shares a mild friendship with Pamela and aids her in messing with Kerry every now and again. * Clifford (Brian Drummond): A heavyset bully who's a bother to both the Halloween Kids and the Elites. He often serves as an antagonist whoever he plays a major role, but the rest of the time he acts as a background character. He played a major role in Leech on a Freak where he challenged Colleen to a fight and again in The Not Exactly Dead Zone where he got the plot going by breaking Alison's shades. After the first season, he stopped appearing regularly, but he joined the others in the three-part finale in entering the Detendimension and saving the Halloween Kids. * Gaylord “Sparky” and Brighton Dobson (Peter Kelamis and David Paul Grove respectively): Identical twin nerds. They try to rationalize everything with logic, but get turned away almost every time. Sparky is an obnoxious boy but he is quick to back down in the face of a physical confrontation. Brighton hates confrontation and tries to maintain peace between them and the bullies, but backs down when anyone threatens him. The other kids hardly understand Sparky, so Brighton takes on the role of translator. * Tito Perrino (Danny Wells): Father of Lars. In his prime, he was a very feared man who could ruin anyone's reputation thanks to his influence, but this passed when he got convicted over tax evasion. Beyond his rough exterior, Tito is actually a fairly charitable man and only went after people he felt were a threat to the community. In Slumber with the Fishes, it's implied that Tito used to work as a clown. * Luther Kitrosser (Harvey Atkin): Dolly's adoptive father. Luther was a compulsive gambler who previously exploited the Raven Stakes in order to avoid conviction for financial scandals and to get out of paying owed debts. After encountering Dolly, he takes her in, marries a former acquaintance and is made a part of the Perrino estate. He is seen frequently where the Perrinos and the Binders are present and seems to be within the same neighborhood as the other adults. Luther is a bumbling and generally meek man, but when provoked he tends to be violent. * Laney Kitrosser (Kathleen Laskey): A former evangelist and a pastor at Belbury's local church. Like Luther she was involved with a number of financial schemes and was actually expelled from her position over it. Her and Luther's relationship stems from that, but both grew to know each other and fully solidify their bond. Her relationship with the other mothers is generally hit or miss, and as a result she isn't regularly included in their endeavors. People tend to call her "Lace", something she has grown accustomed to. Laney has a vehement hatred of dogs and tends to kill any that wind up on her lawn, feeding them to her husband. * Hope Chapley (Nicole Oliver): A haggard teacher at Belbury Middle School, and an occasional antagonist. Like Kerry, she enforces moralism, but to a far grander, often sinister extent, to the point she's willing to let people die just to teach them a lesson. She was formally married to Kerry (apparently done through a shotgun marriage), but he wound up leaving her. In spite of her profession, Hope vehemently hates children, especially her class, directing it the most to Julie and her friends to the point she tries to get them expelled with her attempts either failing to go anywhere or backfiring when they strike back against her. Her efforts led to her getting fired or her pay getting docked, but she always returns by the start of the next episode. Beyond teaching, Ms. Chapley also does maintenance work around the school. It's implied that she rarely leaves the school, but the circumstances behind this were never confirmed. * Daphne Kadic (Kathleen Barr): Cosmo's estranged wife. She is mentioned frequently in each episode but has never been seen. Details on her life were revealed throughout the series from her childhood to her adult years. As a kid, Daphne was a tomboyish girl who loved flowers and often picked on Cosmo. When she turned 25 she left to join the army but was sent out of the battlefield due to her losing her hand in combat. She took a job as a waitress at a diner and reunited with Cosmo, eventually marrying him and birthing Tommy and Marie. Through the influence of the Headless Inspectre, he possessed Daphnel long enough to make Cosmo angry with her by spewing hateful remarks at him and made her leave him. She was later imprisoned in the Detendimension following a year of serving as a pawn to the specter and put into a comatose-like spell. She was discovered in the finale and was brought back home. * Edgar Frost (David Huband): A retired journalist and Alison's uncle. Edgar's relationship with Amber was strained, namely due to their conflicting jobs and the fact that they're rivals by nature (while Amber's Italian, Edgar's Irish). Edgar had no regrets leaving Amber, and often teases her over the fact that he's more well off detached than he was with her, so long as he knew he could get away with it. The two get back together in Everything's Better than Ezra after they're forced to work together, allowing them an opportunity to tackle their fatal flaws. * Andy Hammond (Scott McNeil): An uppity man who rarely holds back when it comes to criticizing people. Andy is generally anti-social, which heavily affected his work life because of his penchant to snap. His attitude enabled him to earn a relationship with Chris, later Autumn and Martha when they met. In spite of his demeanor, he could surprisingly be reasoned with once someone talks to him long enough, and he's seemingly not very bright, as he tends to go against his own social doctrines by accident. His poor depiction of the world stems from his introverted nature, and as a result he reacts to things differently than anyone normally would. Andy holds no contempt toward anyone, save for those he deems to be rotten by nature. Andy grew up in Battle Mountain, Nevada. * Mike Scull (Gene Mack): A sour man and a frequent complainer. In the books, he was a frequent critic of several African American movements, particularly the Black Panthers; this was toned down for the series, but allusions still suffice. Compared to people like Martha and Andy, Mike isn't as misanthropic as them; while Andy and Martha merely comment on something negatively knowing full well they can't do anything about it, Mike is more vocal about his dissatisfaction, to the annoyance of the otherwise silent circle he's in. Mike proved to be rather unpopular in the series, and this was exemplified in Smells Like... B.O. where he was alienated by his friends over his lack of commitment and care to their issues and his more prevalent complaining. Mike was born in Fairfax, Virginia, which fueled the animosity his friends had toward him since they hated the east. * Chris Hancock (Garry Chalk): A downbeat man. Chris tends to be the middleman in his circle, tending to try and stop any confrontation with a quick comment. Chris suffers from depression, something the others have caught on to and they attempt to keep their interactions leveled to avoid setting him off. Unlike Andy or Martha, Chris is an introvert by choice. He was unable to maintain lasting relationships and had a very bad relationship with his father, along with some poorly decided career choices where he had to put up with condescending superiors. That aspect gave him a complex where he immediately rebuffs anyone who's quick to criticize (Andy's an exception to this, possibly because Chris knows Andy does it by nature.) Chris grew up in Aztec, New Mexico and works at an electronics store. * Seth Walsh (Dan Petronijevic): Seth is effeminate and somewhat obnoxious, being a prime source of annoyance for his friends. He seems to have had a troubled childhood, where he has emotional fits whenever certain topics are discussed, and like Artemis, his sexuality is also a source of debate. * Malcolm Langley (Yannick Bisson): He's in a relationship with Britney, something that isn't mentioned but shown heavily. He is mostly self-absorbed, though he keeps this to himself. Malcolm is head-strong and defiant per any challenge, always trying to accomplish anything just to look good. While he does physically harm others, it ironically saves the victims from a worse fate, though it leads to awkward situations when Malcolm is credited to it. * Nurse Sonja (Jayne Eastwood): A former nurse at Belbury Middle School. She mostly served as a background character with no major roles until The Not Exactly Dead Zone. Sonja is a potential pedophile who latches onto Alison and attempted to groom her, though she managed to rebuff her. Sonja attempted to get rid of all of the students in the school to win Alison over, but is exposed and later fired. Episodes *: All episodes based of books Pilots Early shorts that contain characters or served as a predecessor to The Halloween Kids. Includes the pilot telefilm. Season 1 Season 2 Reception The series initially received mixed reviews, with praise going toward the characters and stories but criticism going toward the overall execution. In the second season, Strange garnered more creative control and the series received a positive reevaluation, praising Strange's off-the-wall approach. Over the years, thanks to its elusive nature, the series earned a cult following and has increased ever since the series was rediscovered.Category:Fake TV Shows Category:Canadian TV series Category:American TV Series Category:English-language shows Category:Fake TV Shows that air on Real Channels